China Glaze "Sun Worshiper" Swatch + Review

China Glaze "Sun Worshiper"

Summer is almost over but that doesn't mean we can't still rock neon nail polishes. And if you've ever looked at an orange highlight and thought, "Hmm...that would make an excellent nail polish", then "Sun Worshiper  is the color for you. This color is bright--it almost hurts my eyes to look at it--and is perfect for those crazy summer days (and nights) but the formulation sucks. It is streaky, sheer, and (oddly enough) dries to a matte finish. After five coats, I finally managed to achieve a somewhat opaque finish. I had such high expectations for this polish and was very disappointed that it was so difficult to work with. The color is beautiful and unique but I don't know if I'll be reaching for "Sun Worshiper  very often in the future.

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Butter London "Fruit Machine" Swatch + Review

Butter London "Fruit Machine"

Another nail polish post? Shocker...I know. But today I'm mixing it up and chose to wear Butter London "Fruit Machine". I'm normally not a fan of pink anything (blame it on the fact that my sister was obsessed with the color pink from birth and I wanted to be different) but when I saw this color at Ulta, I knew I wanted it. To be honest, I wanted all of the colors from Spring 2013 collection but I managed to control my impulses. I love the color but I am extremely disappointed with the formulation. It was a mildly gloopy application and only required two coats. But what I found most frustrating about this polish (which cost $15.00) was the hugely unimpressive lasting power. My sister and I both painted ours nails this color on Saturday afternoon and by Saturday night, my sister's manicure had already chipped. I thought maybe it was a fluke but by Sunday night, my manicure had already begun to chip on three nails. 

I'd never tried a cream finish Butter London polish before and I will admit that my experience with "Fruit Machine" has decreased my enthusiasm for Butter London polishes. I had assumed that Butter London's higher price tag correlated to higher quality. I am disappointed but I am not yet making sweeping judgement about the Butter London polishes. I will give them another chance. Despite the horrible lasting power, I am excited that Butter London is a 3 free company (meaning none of the polishes contain formaldehyde, toluene, or DBP). 

OPI "Suzi's Hungary AGAIN!" Swatch + Review

three coats, natural light

I hope that everyone enjoyed the OPI Euro Centrale mini-review/sneak peak I posted on Monday. And like I said I was going to do in that post, I am here to review one of the polishes in full. As you can probably tell from the picture above, OPI "Suzi's Hungary AGAIN!" is a very bright and very bold pink (almost coral) color. I immediately feel in love with this color when I saw it in the store. I couldn't' resist picking it up. Looking back, if I'd had to leave one polish at the store it probably would've been this one. Not because there was anything wrong with the formulation (like almost every OPI nail polish I've every tried, this one is opaque and smooth) but the color is similar to a couple colors that I already own. It is a color that I've seen before but don't hesitate to snatch it up if you have nothing like this in your collection.

Sephora By OPI "Henna-Thing Is Possible" Swatch + Review

two coats, natural light

I already did two nail polish reviews this week. Why not make it three? Sephora By OPI "Henna-Thing Is Possible" is easily becoming one my new favorites. It is this bright fuchsia color in the daylight but under less ideal lighting the bluish-purple micro (and I mean micro) shimmer gives it a deeper purple appearance. It was a bit difficult to capture accurately on film but I think I finally managed to do the job with the picture above. Over winter break I wore this color for two weeks straight. I walked around my house in these super-warm fuzzy socks and my computer (which both happen to be the same color as this nail polish) and felt like a total rock-star. After taking a moment to re-read that last statement, I realize how utterly ridiculous I sound. But don't blame me, blame my nail polish junkie tendencies.

Now, onto to the pros and cons. The nail polish lasted about five/six days before serious chipping settled in. This isn't amazing (I was hoping for a bit more because Sephora By OPI polishes are on the expensive side) but this is about average for high-end nail polishes. The formulation was smooth and easy to apply. Opacity was great. Overall, I am extremely impressed. As you can probably tell from the picture above, this isn't a full-sized bottle. I actually got it from one of those Sephora gift sets ages ago but never gave it a try until recently. I'm sure it'll only be a matter of time before I buy a full-sized bottle because...I really, really love this color.

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Julep "Parker" Swatch + Review

four coats, natural light

Another NOTD post? What? So soon? I know it's crazy. And the fact that they both happen to be Julep nail polishes is just an odd coincidence. After wearing Julep "Jessica" for two weeks straight I figured that it was time to mix it up a bit. The best way for me to describe Julep "Parker" is a slightly lighter Crayola crayon orange. It is bold and bright color. Just the thing to inspire me to study for my midterms--or so I thought. I never used to wear orange nail polish but recently, thanks to Zoella (who loves the color orange), I have begun to have a new appreciation for the color. It is still one of my least favorite colors to paint my nails but at least it is no longer my least favorite color. That's an improvment, right?

In my review for Julep "Jessica" I mentioned that I have a love-hate relationship with Julep nail polish. "Jessica" was a strong mark in the love category and unfortunately "Parker" is an equally strong mark in the hate category. It was very thick and I found that I was having a lot of problems getting a opaque and smooth finish. It was blobby and wouldn't settle across my nails like most nail polishes do. It was just werid. The color is nice enough. It's bright and bold and the more I wear it, the more I liked it.

However, the weird formulation and the amount of effort it took to get the polish to look decent on my nails certainly made it impossible for me to write a positive review in the end. Julep polishes are high end polishes(costing $14 per bottle). It is not too much to expect that the polishes apply easily. "Parker" is not such a unique color that it would be difficult finding something similar for a much better price.  Final thoughts? I'm not impressed. My appreciation for orange nail polish is growing but if you want to add a color to your orange nail polish collection--don't pick this one. It is not worth the money.

Chat with me on twitter! Check out my book and movie reviews on my second blog! Leave a comment below! Do you like orange nail polish? What are you wearing on your nails?

Julep "Jessica" Swatch + Review

two coats, natural light

It has been too long since I did a NOTD. Much, much, much too long. Considering the content on my blog it would be nearly impossible for anyone to conclude that I am, in fact, an open nail polish junkie. And by nail polish junkie I mean someone with entirely too much nail polish (Wait! Is that even possible?) but still continues to buy more. This was actually a present that I bought for my sister this past Christmas...but after seeing her wear it, I became obsessed. And, being the lovely and gernous sister that she is, she allowed me to wear it and swatch it for my blog.

I have had a bit of a love-hate relationship with Julep nail polishes. It is really hit-or-miss and I find it hard for me to spend so much money on something that isn't a sure thing. These are not cheap--retailing at about $14 at Sephora or a Julep.com (although as I'm writing this post it is out of stock!). But despite all my mixed feelings I've had with Julep nail polishes in the past, I ADORE "Jessica"! It isn't as thick as some of the Julep polishes I've used in the past but it's still super opaque. I probably only had to apply one coat for full coverage but I applied two just in case. And I wasn't the only one who thought this color was stunning. I can't begin to count all the compliments I got. I mean...look at it! It is the perfect it's-winter-but-I-want-it-to-be-spring nail polish. It's the best of both worlds.

But if you are drawn to this color and would like to use this as your perfect it's-winter-but-I-want-it-to-be-spring nail polish be aware that it chips like crazy. I had it on for only about thirty-six hours or so before I lost my entire right pointer finger (obviously, not my actually finger but all of the nail polish on my right pointer finger). It was only a matter of days before the rest of my fingers followed suit. But despite it's short life-span, I still love it and I still recommend it.

Chat with me on twitter! Check out my other blog where I review books and movies! Leave a comment below! P.S. How do you guys like the quality of the photo? I used to do all my pictures with my iPhone but I have since upgraded to a Canon Rebel T3i.

OPI "French Quarter for Your Thoughts" Swatch + Review

two coats, natural light

I've been wearing a lot of dark colors lately and so when I went to paint my nails today I wanted something light but I didn't feel like painting a million coats so I didn't pick a light pink. Instead I saw "French Quarter for Your Thoughts" and thought it was such a lovely shade. I don't wear it as much as I should. It's a bit darker on the nails than it appears in the bottle but it still gives the nails a fresh and polished look. It's subtle but noticeable--if that makes any sense.  

This color was part of the Touring America Collection that came out two summers ago but I'm almost 100% positive that it is part of the permanent collection. I will be the first one to admit that it isn't that impressive in the bottle. It looks like a boring grey color but I love a light grey look whenever I get tired of wearing bright/dark polishes. I just think it looks so effortlessly chic. This is easily my favorite light grey nail polish and I will recommend it to anyone. I think it would look gorgeous on most skin tones--especially if you have yellow undertones.

What do you think of this color? Tell me in the comments below! Chat with me on twitter! Check out my second blog!

FTC: This product was sent to me for review.

Julep "Natasha" Swatch + Review

 two coats, natural light

After I fell in love with Julep "Sofia", I knew that I wanted to wear another Julep polish. I have sort of a love-hate relationship with Julep nail polishes. Some of their polishes are beautiful but at the same time some of them are rather lack-luster. Natasha is easily one of my favorites. It is a bright orange-red color. It reminds me of Nicole By OPI "Kourt is Red-y For a Pedi"--although KIRFAP is a very true red. I love both shades but right now I can't get enough of this color.

Here is a close up show. The formulation of this polish is perfection. It is thick--I probably could have gotten away with one coat but I added a second just be safe--and glides on easily. I wish all Julep polishes were this easy to work with. It doesn't dry very quickly so be sure to use a quick-drying top coat!

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Julep "Sofia" Swatch + Review

 I got this once in my Julep Maven boxes--I can't remember which--but I remembering being SO disappointed with this color when I first got it. I didn't think the color was very pretty and the super bold glitter wasn't my thing either. To top it all off, when I applied the polish it has the oddest finish. It isn't glossy at all. It has a more satin finish to it. It's weird and I don't like it. Once you put a top coat on it isn't a problem but I was just not impressed.

A few weeks ago I was feeling adventurous so I put this on my nails. Maybe I was being too judgmental. Maybe it was a really pretty color and I was just remembering it wrong. No. I had the same reaction as I did the first time. I didn't like it. And I was going downstairs to pick out another polish to wear because I'd decided to change my nails but then the coolest thing happened. It glowed in the dark. I don't know if it's supposed to do that but it literally glowed in the dark. I called my sister down and she was there to witness it. And as lame and as stupid as it sounds, the fact that it glows in the dark completely changed my mind.

I'm so fickle. I immediately fell in love. I decided not to change my nails because I wanted to show it to everyone else in my family. And the more I wore it the more I didn't hate it. The color was beginning to grow on me and the glitter wasn't as obnoxious as I'd once thought. I decided to wear it again today to celebrate Halloween and I suggest that you wear it as well. It is just so cool. I can't get enough. I guess it goes to show you that you shouldn't judge a nail polish until you check to see if it glows in the dark. Or something like that. Happy Halloween! Be safe!

How are you celebrating Halloween? Do you celebrate Halloween? Tell me in the comments below! Chat with me on twitter! Click here to hear about the time I got to meet Meg Cabot, author of The Princess Diaries!

Nicole By OPI "Hard-Kourt Fashionista" Swatch + Review

 two coats, natrual light

I finally got around to painting my nails a truly "fall" color. "Hard-Kourt Fashionista" is a deep plummy brown. It is a color that is VERY similar to the oh-so-popular OPI "Lincoln Park". I actually own that color and when swatched next to each other they're very similar--"Lincoln Park" is darker and has a more purple undertone. This is a great dupe if you aren't willing to spend the money on OPI.

On the nails the polish is MUCH darker than it appears in the bottle. The product went on smooth and easy. I was impressed with the opacity of this color. I probably could have gotten away with one coat but I added another just to be safe. I didn't use a top coat because it dried super quickly and with a shiny finish. What I didn't find impressive was how easy this stuff chipped. I kind you not, this stuff chipped in less than twenty-four hours. And by the second day I had to repaint. I've tried quite a few Nicole by OPI polishes in the past and I've never had this problem with them before--but then I always used a top coat. I won't make that mistake again. If you buy this polish don't forget a top coat--or else you will be as disappointed as I was.

Have you ever tried a Nicole by OPI nail polish? Tell me about your experience! Chat with me on twitter! Check out my second blog!

FTC: This product was provided for review.

OPI "I Don't Give a Rotterdam" Swatch + Review

 two coats, natural light

This summer OPI launched their Dutch Collection and I was a little underwhelmed. The colors were nice but the only shade that really caught my eye was "I Don't Give a Rotterdam"--and not only because of it's cute name. It is the prettiest shade of soft, blue with lots of silver shimmer. The shimmer isn't too much but it is definately noticeable on the nail. So much so that a few of the people thought this color was silver on the nail--even though in the bottle the blue color is a bit more obvious. It goes on lovely and after I picked this color up half-way through the summer is has easily become one of my most worn polishes.

You might be wondering, If this color was one of your most worn colors in the summer why are we only just now seeing a swatch? And that is a valid question. Long story short, I took the pictures before I left for Hawaii but they got lost in my computer and I found them recently--after I'd taken another set of photos. It really is a gorgeous color. I also had my eye on "I Have a Herring Problem" which was a darker, dustier version of this color in the Dutch Collection but I couldn't justify buying both colors. They were way too similar. I'm a bit surprised that OPI put them in the same collection.

In conclusion, if you are thinking about picking up this color--buy it! It reminds me a lot of Essie "Lapis of Luxury" but with shimmer. If you like that color, I think you'll really like this one too!

What do you think of this color? Leave your thoughts in the comments below! Chat with me on twitter! Check out my second blog!

OPI "Mermaid Tears" Swatch + Review

 two coats, nautral light

Summer is coming to an end but I'm not quite ready to switch to the darker nail polishes I tend to associate with the fall months. Here is a gorgeous color that I recently re-found in my collection. It was released with the Pirates of the Caribbean collection that was released AGES ago. At the time I liked the color but I was more obsessed with "Sparrow Me the Drama". You can take a peak at the swatches I posted when they were first released. Warning. They were horrible. I was still learning how to swatch.

"Mermaid Tears" is a beautiful dusty blue-green color. And know that I've seen the movie, I think the name is so cute. Ever since I first saw The Little Mermaid, I've been a little been a little obsessed with mermaids. This color isn't available anymore--it was limited edition--but Chine Glaze "For Audrey" is a surprisingly close dupe. "For Audrey" isn't as dusty and it is certainly more blue but it is very close.

Another, up close shot. It really is a gorgeous color. I don't understand why I haven't been wearing this color all summer. I just went back-to-school shopping this past weekend and I saw this color EVERYWHERE. Forever 21. American Eagle. H&M. Minty-blue-green shirts/pants/sweaters were at all those stores. Even though I didn't get to wear it that much during the summer, I do think I'll be able to rock into in the fall months.

What do you think of "Mermaid Tears"? Leave me a comment! Chat with me on twitter! Check out my second blog!

Nicole By OPI "Kim-Pletely in Love" Swatch + Review

 five coats, natural light

I am slowly working my way through all the Kardashian Kolors Nail Polish Collection. I didn't think I was going to like this polish--and it had nothing to do with the fact that Kim is my least favorite Kardashian sister. Okay, maybe it did. But once I put it on I saw how pretty it is. It is a beautiful baby pink shade. So natural. But not easy. This polish took SO many coats. I wrote about that it took five coats but I honestly don't know. I lost count after four and I'm just guessimating. It was a challenge.

It is easier to see in this swatch but this color has the most subtle blue shimmer to it. It isn't too obvious but it is a special little accent to a color that I've seen before. I added a top coat and this color NEVER dried. I know it is because I applied so many coats but even after five or six hours it was still semi-wet. It was impossible for me not to mess up my nails. I changed the color the next day.

I don't think that that was a problem with a formulation, I just know from experience that many light pink nail polishes are extremely sheer and require a ton of coats. I just would recommend using a product like OPI's Drip Dry or make sure that each coat is dry before applying the next one. Nicole by OPI polishes retail for around $7 at Wal-Mart or which makes them a cheaper option than many other shades that are very similar from Essie or OPI. It is a beautiful and more affordable option. Just be careful during application.

What do you think of this color? Leave a comment! Chat with me on twitter! Check out my second blog!

FTC: This polish was sent to me for review.

Revlon "Blue Lagoon" Nail Polish Swatch + Review

two coats, natural light

Revlon's "Blue Lagoon" is the perfect pastel blue nail polish. And I dont say this lightly because I have tried my fair share of blue nail polishes. Essie's "Borrowed and Blue" is a pretty color but it was limited edition and it was a bit too white, not enough blue. But "Blue Lagoon" is perfection. You can't see it in the swatch but "Blue Lagoon" is filled with iredescent glitter. Normally I'm not a fan of glitter but for some reason, this time I'm a big fan. It is noticeble enough that when I move my fingers I can see the glitter reflect the light. Revlon polishes are a bit hit-and-miss with me but I am so obsessed with ths color. I could spend the next twelve lines raving about this polish but I will end it here. Buy it! You will not regret it.

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OPI "If You Moust You Moust" Swatch + Review

two shades, natural light

I'm finally getting around to reviewing some of the lovely shades from the new-ish OPI Minnie Mouse collection. I am the biggest Disney fan--and whether it's the kid in me or just my plain old imaturity, I was so excited when I saw this in Trade Secret. But I tried to convince myself that I didn't need it. Boy, was I wrong and I ended up picking up two shades. I knew that I needed this shade when I saw my sister's nails after she got a manicure. Plus, it's Minnie Mouse. It was a no brainer!

It reminds me a bit of "ElePhantastic Pink". Although "If You Moust You Moust" is a blue-r based pink. I normally don't like pinks but I loved this shade. It was super easy to apply and it was super opqaue. All of my nails only needed two coats--except for the right ring finger. It is a fantastic color and I'm thinking that I might go back and pick up the other two shades. Gosh. I am in love with this color. It's fantastic!

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OPI "Brisbane Bronze" Swatch + Review

two coats, natural light

I'm a little behind on my nail polish swatches. I wore this color about a week ago, just before I left Oahu. I am a sucker for metallics and when I saw swatches of this color online. It is the perfect deep bronze color. It looks quite brown in the picture above but in the sunlight, this color is so beautiful. Like most OPI polishes, this one was easy to apply and I had no problems whatsoever with the formulation. I don't really have much to say other than I really, really loved this nail polish. And even though I was sporting bronze nail polish for the Olympics, I was hoping Team USA would grab gold! I'm still a bit bummed that the Olympics are done. I guess I'll have to wait until Sochi 2014 and Rio 2016.

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OPI "ElePhantastic Pink" Swatch + Review

three coats, natural light

Let me start this review by saying that I am NOT a pink person. I've never really liked the color. Even with nail polish, I normally don't gravitate towards pinks. But there is something about this color that I jsut absolutely love. It's a bright, fruity color and it looks so good on. The picture above does a really good job of showing how fantastic the color looks in person. It is easily my favorite pink nail polish--ever.

I first saw it when a couple years ago my sister went to get a manicure and picked this color. The whole time she was wearing the color, I wanted to buy it. "ElePhantastic Pink" is a perfect summer polish and I don't hesitate in recommending this color to everyone on the internet. It is just THAT good. The only downside [and it really isn't that big of a downside] is that it is a bit streaky and I had to add one coat more than I had anticipated. It wasn't a big deal but just something that I noticed.

Nicole by OPI "Rainbow in the S-Kylie" Swatch + Review

three coats, natural light

Another shade from the Kardashian Kolors. This is an exact dupe for OPI "Rainbow Connection". If you loved that color but didn't get your hands on it or didn't want to spend the money, buy this color! I wouldn't consider this shade an actual nail polish. It is more like a top coat. This was three coats and I couldn't image how many coats would be necessary to get an opaque finish. I was feeling very summery and bright when I painted my nails this color. It isn't something I would normally paint all my nails. I think it would look fantastic as an accent nail over another polish. 

Here is another look at the polish. It really is a rainbow, right? But while it is fun to wear, it should come as no surprise that it was a pain to take off. Sigh. I don't know what I was thinking. "Rainbow in the S-Kylie" is a really beautiful color but I wouldn't expect my nail to look like the bottle. It would take too many coats and then the polish would flake off. 

Revlon "Ocean Breeze" Scented Nail Polish Swatch + Review

four coats, natural light

Since coming to stay with my cousin I have been painting my nails like CRAZY! She has a pretty impressive nail polish collection and I want to try all of them! I guess nail polish obsessions run in the family. But while she has so many amazing nail polishes in her collection, Revlon "Ocean Breeze" is not one of them. It was hard to work with and when it dried it wasn't smooth and was really, really bubbly/bumpy. I kept adding layers, hoping to cover up the imperfections but that didn't help. Even in the swatch you can kind of see how rough the nail polish applied. I only wore it for one day before I quickly removed it. Plus, this is one of Revlon's scented nail polishes but, personally, it didn't smell very ocean breeze-y. And I would know! Because right now I'm in Hawaii--literally ten minutes from the beach. Instead it reminded me a lot of cleaning supplies. So gross. Thankfully, the smell wasn't too strong. But I warn people. DO NOT BUY THIS NAIL POLISH! The color is super pretty but it is not worth the hassle. That is, unless you like bumpy nail polish. In that case, go right ahead. 

Nicole by OPI "Listen To Your Momager!" Swatch + Review

two coats, natural light

   

Not the summery, bright color you were expecting. Huh? I decided to take a break from those pastel colors and take a darker approach to my nails. This is one of the nail polishes from the Kardashian Kolors collaboration with Nicole by OPI. I think OPI polishes are fantastic quality and even though their brush system is a little wonky [sometimes they're thick and sometimes they're not. what's up with that?] they are still one of my favorite drug store brands. They're color selection is really impressive. Plus it's OPI. What's not to love?

   

"Listen To Your Momager!" is a dark, shimmery blue that looks fantastic on the nails. I know it's a little hard to see in the picture but it is not an average cream finish. I first tried this color when I did my Fourth of July nail tutorial and I have been obsessed ever since. It is just a fun color. And I think it works for both the summer and winter months. Gosh! I think it is just so pretty. The formulation was a little tricky to work with--more than a bit streaky. But it wasn't really a problem after the first coat.

  

FTC: This product was sent to me for review